Benjamin Disraeli(British Statesman)

Date of Birth:

21 December 1804

Date of Death:

19 April 1881

Nationality:

British

Quote count:

298

Times favorited:

337

Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS was a British Conservative statesman and literary figure. He served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister—the first and thus far only person of Jewish parentage to do so . Disraeli's greatest lasting achievement was the creation of the modern Conservative Party after the Corn Laws schism of 1846.

Although a major figure in the protectionist wing of the Conservative Party after 1844, Disraeli's relations with the other leading figures in the party, particularly Lord Derby, the overall leader, were often strained. Not until the 1860s would Derby and Disraeli be on easy terms, and the latter's succession of the former assured. From 1852 onwards, Disraeli's career would also be marked by his often intense rivalry with William Gladstone, who eventually rose to become leader of the Liberal Party. In this duel, Disraeli was aided by his warm friendship with Queen Victoria, who came to detest Gladstone during the latter's first premiership in the 1870s. In 1876 Disraeli was raised to the peerage as the Earl of Beaconsfield, capping nearly four decades in the House of Commons.